Electric socket



Oct. 29,1929. H. SHAPIRO 1,733,470

ELECTRIC SOCKET Original Filed Feb. 6, 1925 INVENTOR.

16 57f HYMAN .Smwma BY 84 w ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 29, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICET 11mm snarmo', orBROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR ro run 1a. rnorr co. mo,

01 NEW YORK, N. Y.', A CORPORATION on NEW YORK ELECTRIC SOCKET Originalapplication flled February 6, 1925, Serial No. 7,207. Divided and. thisapplication filed July 20,

1926. Serial No.,-123,603. I

This invention relates to detachable electric fittings, such as switchtype, duplex, lamp-socket, plugfittings adapted to receive a pair ofelectric bulbs or a pair of connectors of other electric apparatus.

One object ofthe invention is toprovide an improved, selectivelyoperated, push button switching means which is especially adapted to beincorporated in 1am socket,

1o plug fittings of the character descri ed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed including an improved push-button switching mechanism, andcomprising few and simple parts which may be quickly andeasilyassembled, cheap to manufacture yet, neat and attractive in appearance,and practical and efiicient in operation to a highdegree.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and'in parthereinafter pointed out.

This application is a division of my pendingapplication Serial No. 7,207 filed Feb. 6, 1925, and certain features herein shown and describedare shown, described,

and claimed in my said co-pending application and in myco-pendingapplication Serial No. 123,602 filed simultaneously herewith, now PatentNo. 1,646,499.

Theinvention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangement of partswhich will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and ofwhichthescope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In theaccompanying drawing, in'which is shown one of the variouspossible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a completely assembled socket.

Fig. 2 is a transversesection taken on line 2-2 in Fig. 1 showing onesection of the socket and the push button switching mecha- $5 nismmounted therein- 1 Fig. 3 is a sectional detailed view taken online3-3inFig.2., Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view. of the exteriorlythreaded shell cap which assists in holdin the sections of the socket inassembled relation. 7, Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View showing a modifiedform of push button switching mechanism. Fig. 6 isan enlarged,detailedsectional view taken on line 6-6 in Fig. 5., I Referring indetailto the'drawing, 10 denotes an electric lamp socket embodying theinvention. Said'socket is seen to comprise two mating, molded,insulating sections 15 and '16, eachincluding an intermediate bodyportion 17 of substantial solidityand onopposite sides of'suchintermediate portion, a pair of short arms hollowedout to provideinternally threaded socket portions 18,"18

disposed approximately at right angles to each other. Forming acontinuation of the bodyportion of each member is a plug poi tion 19which may be cut away internally as indicated by the hollowportionQO.When the two sections 15, 161 are placed together in matingrelationship, the two hollow neck portions cooperate to provide a plugof oval exterior shape upon which fits an exteriorly threaded shell 21provided with'aninwardly 7 turned flange 22 having an oval opening. gthereinto prevent'rotation of the shell on theneck of thesocket. Byvirtue of this construction, 21; am able to eliminateqthe necessity forexteriorly threading the socket neck and simplyslip the shell in placeand holdc'it against rotation on the neck bythe non-circular g flange:22. Suitable supple mental'means maybe provided for anchoring the shell,21-against;rotation relative to the neck of the socket member, such forinstance, as by soldering the shell 21 toa conducting member .75, as.will hereinafter. appear.

As an additional precautionfagainst the, I i

accidental separation" or relative displacement of the two matingsections 15 and 16, I preferably employ annular metallic bands 50encircling the extremities of the short arm portions thereof, said bandsbeing frictionally fitted or otherwise firmly but preferably detachablysecured in place. The two sections of the duplex sockets are thussecured together at their three outermost parts and are accuratelymaintained in proper mating relationship. I

It will be understood that the shell portion 21 is screwed into asuitable outlet plug in the wallorin the socket of an ordinary electriclight fixture and the sockets 18 receive electric bulbs or connectionsfor other electrical apparatus. I equip the sockets' 1'8 with contactmembers to engage the said shell andthe central terminal contactofelectric lamp having the ordinary" Edison'- base. 7 I

In the form of the invention shown in the drawing, the switch mechanismforthe'l'anips is seen to comprise independently operable push buttonswitches, one connected in a lead to each lamp socket 18, the otherleads com: prising conducting members 75 projecting through the body ofthe moldings,- Said members are soldered to the shell 21; at one end 75and include fingers 7 6 at their other ends projecting into" the basesot the lamp sockets 18 and constituting the central contacts thereof.The central current carrying member 77 is provided with a tongue 78projecting through and beyond the neck of the molding and constitutingthe central plug Contact. Its intermediate portion: is secured incooperating grooves 79 of the two molded members 15, 16 and itsresilient end 80 is accommodated in recess 81 formed by 00- operatingrecesses in the molded sections of the body, and extends one side ofsaid recess longitudinally of the wall of one of the sockets 18. Asecond conducting member 82 has one end securedin the same grooves 7 9which retain member 7'? and terminates in a free ant 8'3; disposed inthe recess 81 and longitudinally of the wall of the other socket 18. Thepush button switches are in the ma ture of rods 84; extending throughthe recess 81 and including ends which project through and are exposed'exteriorly of the body portion of the socket. ihe intermediate portionsor the rods 84 are provided with shoulders 85 adjacent cam surfaces 86'which are adapted to engage with spring fingers 80, 83, and lift themonto the shoulders 85 as the rods 84 are axially shifted. In thedrawing,'I

have shown the left hand rod 84 in the oil' position and the right handrod 84 in the on position, in which the corresponding pring finger 80has been pressed against the shell contact of the enclosed lamp, orplug, (not shown), to complete circuit thereof. It will be acted thatmember 16 is equipped with pockets 87 therein for accommodating theshoulders 85 when the rods 84 are pushed to release the spring fingers80 and 83 which will snap to the position shown at the left in Fig. 3 toopen circuit.

As seen from Fig. 2, the projecting spring end 78 of the central plugcontact is not likely to be strained, or to break at the hinge line whenpressed into the outlet socket since the length of spring metal integraltherewith and longitudinal of the plug is iree'to flex within the hollowstructure of the plug thereby permitting such accommodation withoutstrain, and aiiording efi'ecti-vespring contact engagement in the outletsocket.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a modification of the push button switch pushrod 90 in which the rod is of insulating material and of circul'ar crosssection and provided at its central portion with a diametricallyextending slot 91 in which a swivelled cam 92 is secured upon arivet 98.These rods 90'1'nay be conseniently substituted for the rods 84, thecams of course, takingthe place of the shoulders 85 and being adapted toproject tongues 80, 83, into contact making position, by a toggle leveraction with their supporting rods. Preferably a pin 84: in the path ofthe cam renders this toggle action positive so that as the push bar ismoved to switchclosing position, carrying with it the pivot of thecam,-the cam is turned by the pin 84 and moved to its full throwposition urging the spring terminal arm into contact closing position.Upon release, a rapid snap action is had since pressure on the rod tomove the cam 0H its dead center position results in the spring contactmember quickly returning the parts to their normal open circuitposition. 7

While I have shown duplex socket members embodying in detail theconstruc ion of a push button type of switch, it is understood th-atvarious methods of securing the complementary socket sections togethermay be employ'ejd but the method shown in the drawing and describedabove isse'ento greatly expedite assembling the device in thatitobviates the necessity of enteriorly threading the plugs otthe socketsor accurately fitting the shells on the plug portion. The currentcarrying members or conducting arms are accommo dated in complementarygrooves formed in the complementary sections of the duplex-socket, thatis to s'ay,the1contact arms 7 5 and 7 7 and conducting strip 82 aresimply laid in place in their respective grooves when the-two sectionsof the socket are assembled and require theuse of no securing device,such as screws,

rivets, or the like. p r I It will thus be seen that there is provided adevice in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, andwhich is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use. I a

As various possible embodiments might .be

made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in theembodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matterherein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to beinterpreted as 5 illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent: i

1. A duplex socket member including a pair of complementary sections ofmolded insulating material cooperating to provide a pair of unlinedsockets terminal devices in the bottoms of the sockets, spring armsmounted for movement through the sides of the sockets and a pair ofindependent push buttons positioned between said sockets adapted to belongitudinally operated to move the arms into contacting position withinthe sockets, said push buttons comprising rods having their oppositeends mounted in and projecting beyond mating openings in the two membersof the duplex socket and including enlargements at their intermediateportions engageable with the arms to move them into contact position,said enlargements serving as stops for limiting the movement of the rodsin both directions, said duplex socket members, each having a recesstherein, normally housing the spring terminal arms and provid- 3o ingclearance for the movement of the enlarged portions of the rods.

2. In a push button switch, the combination with a spring fingernormally held in one extreme position by its inherent resiliency,

of an axially movable push rod, a cam swivelled within the rod andengageable with the finger whereby a toggle lever action is exertedbetween the push rod and cam as the rod is moved in one direction toflex the finger.

4o 3. In a push button switch, an axially movable push rod, a campivot-ally mounted therein, a spring contact finger exerting pressure onthe cam and tending to maintain the rod in one extreme position, andmeans whereby c movement of the rod toward the other position eiiectsmovement of the spring finger through the intermediacy of the cam, andlocks said finger in its shifted position when the cam passes its deadcenter.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

HYMAN SHAPIRO.

